Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-29
ART WATERS.
French Pictures at the Academy %
Design.

WV 4 "a "A iAil'.7s
The Academy of Design is filled
with Il collection Of French paintings
which have been " brought from Paris
for exhibition only whatever that
may imply-and Will remain visible till
the end OF june, with the exception Of
Sundays A few are really what the
catalogue claims for all Of them
accelerated paintings but the great
er part is IA queer assortment Of works
by ImproeslOnists OF the extreme mo-
dcm wing -lmpressi0nists of the earlier
school. such rs DelacroiX and Courbet,
and plcdding folk like 10 Verboeck-
hoyen and Williams. The wild feats in
candy coiors 10y TissarO, Renoir, and
Monet have been familiar since the eX-
hibitiOn of French lmprassionists last
year at the American Art Association,
and these now again shOWnare obvious
~ not "for exhibition cnly.' Neither
are the poor ii not absolutely question
able examples of The late Monticello,
of Marsciies, five in number, nor the
six 10y Alfred Sisley, nor the eleven
marines, large and small, by that most
attractive painter, Eugene Louis Bou-
din. As regards the last, it is well that
the public should have the chance OF
buying his work, for seldom does one
see more delightful bits thon such ma
nncs as "1he Green Ship The
Mouse, and View Of the Sea near
Dicppc.' His works console one for
much that is tasteless, stupid, or posi-
lively offensive Ia thi, heterogeneous
mass.
Among the celebrated paintings are
two by Dolacroiy THE death OF Slr-
danapalus" created much excitement
in Paris sixty years ago, but at present
We can see how imperfectly DelacroiX
had freed himself from the trammels
of the pscudo-classic art Of France. 1t
betrays an ardent and, indeed, pro-
found study of Hubens and a very sue
cessful att mpt to reproduce the large
modelled and vivid disappointing OF
the nude women Of that great master.
The scene is more than striking 1t IS
beWildering. Although the figure OF
Soldanapaus is hardly central enough.
It's impre ssivontss contrasts finely
with the writing figures OF his
wives, who are dying by the
sword about him or preparing for
death. But the canvas is oyercharged
with figures and loses force by too great
striving after effect. The charger
which n negro is trying to haul upon
the mound Of treasures abOut the couch
of Sardanapulus is an accessory that ex-
cites merrimcnt in itself, aud is poorly
painted TO boot. The other Delacroix
is very different. 1t shows the Sale
des Pas Perdus at the beautiful court
house in RoueD, and the incident is a
dramatic scene from ecclesiastical life,
the abjoct apology Of some contuma-
cious Dr.. McGlynn of the fourteenth
century to his superiOrs. Ii is beau
tiiul, sober, dramatic picture, which
makes one think of the novels OF Fer
dinand Fabre.
Another "celebrated il Jean
Jacques Hcnner's " Eclogue." a large
canvas with two nude nymphs, one
seated in profile playing an antique
pipe, the other leaned against u stone
well in the attitude of a figure in. the
Giorgione at the Louvre. For those
WHO are not affected with paralysis of
the brain by repetition of one note this
Henner Will prove wonderfully at
tractiye. Certainly, il We must listen
to that one peep, peep of his oaten
straw, this picture will do better than
most others. Would that ninety-mne
Henners out of each hundred could be
burned Two small figures and head
are also given to Henner they are in
his usual vein only Aniromeda isa
little less Henncrish than the others. To
Courbet is assigned Castle of Chill
lon," and to Jules Dupr5 seven pic
lures, among which the moonlight ma
rine with fisbing-boat is worthy OF his
fame. Gerome is seen in little view
of two Persian greyhounds drinking
from fountain, their coats beautifully
clean in the brush-work and their sur
roundiDgs tremendously treated. A
portrait of Pope Leo XIII. and q
Head Of an Old Man" are the best
exhibits of Claude Ferdinand Gaillard,
conscientious workman whose "Christ
Dead" marks limit which he cannot
reach. The five examples OF Algerian
landscape and architecture by Vic
tor Pierre Huguet are worth ex-
amining. They belong to the
pictures for sale. OF Manet the
impressionist the Execution OF Maxi
milan is notable, being one Of those
pictures which are SO useless and 50